


Shouldn't have crawled out of bed

by TheMaskedShadow



Category: Mortal Kombat (Video Games), Mortal Kombat - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Guns, Insomnia, Nightmares, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Police, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Regret, Reminiscing, Sorry Not Sorry, The Author Regrets Nothing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:47:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25360354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMaskedShadow/pseuds/TheMaskedShadow
Summary: Kurtis Stryker doesn't know why he even bothered to get out of bed the day Shao Kahn's armies invaded. He doesn't know why he went to work. He doesn't know why he trusted Carlos Kabal to survive everything. He doesn't know why- well, you get the point. He didn't want to get pulled into that mess of a world, but then again, since when did he start getting a choice?
Relationships: Kurtis Stryker/Cassie Cage
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

Kurtis Stryker loved being a cop. Until the day he didn't. That weird Tiger four armed thing still haunts his sleep. Carlos wasn't supposed to get burned by that explosion, but he did. His screams as his skin was burned away haunts him too. Kurtis could save a bus load of orphans from an accident, so he should have been able to go back in and save his own partner, right? so why didn't he?

He shouldve just stayed in bed. 

Of course, then he just had to get killed with a weird new Carlos. He barely remembered his time as a revenent, most of it being pushed to the deepest pits of his mind, not coming out unless he was asleep. He hated the times he did remember though.

For example:

_the outworld woman's cried echoed off the halls. Kurtis swiveled around, he's alive, he should be back in Earthrealm, right? Why was he back here?_

_"Help!!!" A woman cried._

_" there will be no help for you! " Quan Chi yelled._

_Kurtis walked towards the cried and he was trembling from head to toe. His vision went dark and he opened his eyes, he was staring at Smoke, Tomas Vrbada. He hadn't been killed, not right away at least. The Lin Kuai member was sitting with his knees to his chest, his body armor and mask gone to reveal the pale skin and silver hair that fell to his shoulders. His whole body was shaking._

_"Kuai? Is that you? Bi-Han?" He called towards Kurtis._

_Kurtis tried to answer but he couldnt, instead he listened to Tomas' whimpering fill the hall as Quan Chi thrust the blade through his heart._

_"No!" Kuai Liang yelled, breaking free from Quan Chi's magic for just a moment, rushing to his friend's side. " Tomas! "_

_Kurtis felt himself shaking as he watched the view switch to him shooting SF soldiers in the head, preventing them from going home to their families. He couldn't stand it._

_"Let me out!!!" He heard someone yell. Who knows who it was this time._

_"Please, let me go!" Another voice._

_" Don't kill me! " another._

_"Ahhh!!" And another._

_Kurtis shut his eyes tight and sunk to the ground, let me go. let me go. I'll be good. Just let me go. Get outta my head. Stay out. Let me go. The voices were all in his head..._ until they weren't. 

He was jolted awake by General Sonya Blade, shaking him gently.

"Kurtis? Are you okay?" She questioned lightly.

Kurtis just stared at her for a moment, breathing hard. He clenched his eyes tight and tried to control his breathing. 

"Kurtis?" She asked again.

"I- I heard you." He stammered for a moment. 

She frowned at him, " Nightmares? " 

he opened one eye and stared her down, hoping she'd back off while she was ahead. 

She didn't.

"Yep, nightmares." She decided. She signed and put a hand on his shoulder, " Don't worry, they go away eventually. "

"Uh-huh." He said, with little doubt that they wouldn't .

Sonya shook her head at him, "You gonna be okay?"

He nodded, "what're you doing in here anyway?"

She shook her head again, "doesn't matter. Get some rest."

Kurtis watched her leave, half hoping she'd keep going, the other half hoping she'd come back...


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurtis Stryker doesn't know why he went to Sonya Blade for help. He doesn't know why he knocked. He doesn't know why he willingly told her daughter instead. He doesn't know why he allowed Cassie Cage to help him. He's never needed help before, so why does he now?  
> (A.K.A. If you've read my other Mortal Kombat fanfic, then it's another one about Cassie Cage's amazing skills of deduction.)

He should've just stayed home. He apparently lost his job while a revenent, so he didn't have anywhere to be, he could've just stayed home. So why didn't he?

The house was small, reasonable considering that Sonya probably was rarely home. But, compared to the rest of downtown D.C., it was small. 

The cab offered to stay outside in case nobody was home but Kurtis waves it off, "I'll be fine. Thanks." He wasn't really a people person.

He walked up the stone path and frowned at the state of the potted plants on the porch. They were dying. 

He raised a hand and knocked. Once. Twice. Three times. No one came to the door. He could hear screaming from the back though. His hand went instinctively to his waist were his gun usually was before the thought came back, 'I'm not a cop anymore'. That was different.

He was about to turn and leave before the door opened, revealing a much younger, wilder looking version of Sonya. 

"Oh, hi Mr. Kurtis. Sorry, I was watching a movie." Cassie Cage said.

Kurtis smiled a little and looked down at the floor, "it's just Kurtis, Cassie. Is your Mom home?" 

cassie shrugged, "She could be, she could not be. She doesn't bother telling me." She took one look at his expression, a Mic of anxiety and aggravation, "I'm kidding. She'll be back in a few minutes, she had to go to the store. You want to come in?"

Kurtis swallowed and nodded. He followed Cassie in and say at the bar stool at the bar. "How- How's your dad?" 

Cassie grinned, "what do you think? He's either breaking shit because he doesn't know how I am, or he's having the time of his life because I am not home."

Kurtis snorted and shook his head, course he was. Johnny Cage was either worried beyond needed or he didn't give a shit. One or the other. Never both, never neither.

Cassie looked up from her beer and raised an eyebrow at him, "so what are you here to talk to my mom about? I mean, it has to be important considering you flew down from NYC just to talk to her."

Kurtis could feel his face pale and he shook his head, "It's not important. Just... stuff."

" Hey, I'm an adult in the SF who- quite fashionably mind you- defeated Shinnok. You can talk to me just as well as my mom if it's not important. "

Kurtis realized she had a point. If anything, she had a better point than Sonya did when she said that it was perfectly normal to have PTSD from being a revenent and such.

Cassie narrowed her eyes at him before raising an eyebrow, "insomnia?"

Kurtis looked at her with a raised eyebrow, wondering how the he'll she knew that. "Kind of."

She nodded, "ohh, nightmares. PTSD?" 

he hesitated before nodding slightly. 

She frowned, "oh, well, I figured if you have ptsd you'd be talking to uncle Jax."

Kurtis shrugged. "Your mom offered."

Cassie nodded before taking the bar stool next to him. "Well, I can still help. I know a few places here in D.C. that help with that stuff." 

He smiled before pulling out a notebook from his bag and taking the pencil from behind her ear, "why not?"

By the time he left, Sonya wasn't back, but Cassie had helped explain what each place on the list helped with exactly. More importantly, she'd promised to make sure he was doing okay. Even more importantly, she'd helped.

As he sat in the cab, heading back to the hotel in dark D.C. night, he thanked God, for Cassie and her Mother, even for Johnny. a miracle, Cassie had called it, that even after meeting a god, learning of a bunch of elder gods, he still believed in God and remained a Christian. He wouldn't call it a miracle, but yeah, it was surprising. But then again, what wasn't?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurtis Stryker doesn't know why he trusted Cassie Cage. He doesn't know why he let her in. He doesn't know why he showed her the scar. He doesn't know why he allowed her to stay the night. He doesn't know a lot of things it's starting to seem.  
> (Also: Stryker is only about 23. I'm estimating that's about how old he was when he died and became a revenent so I'm making it where he stayed the same age as he was when he died. Cassie is about 21-22.)

Kurtis Stryker arrived home three months after staying in D.C. for those rehabilitation for PTSD places that Cassie had sugessted. He unlocked the door to his apartment and stepped inside, throwing his duffel bag on his couch. He then promptly went to sleep in his bed. God, he hated planes.

Four weeks later:

_The knife was held above his heart, Quan Chi smirking as he thrust it in. The scene changed. Kurtis collapsed in front of Liu Kang and Kitana, emperor and empress of Netherealm._

_"You betrayed us Stryker." Liu said, paving in front of him and hitting his own palm repeatedly with the holy of a knife._

_" You helped the Earthrealmer, Black. " kitana spat the gunslinger's name with hate._

_"You must be punished." Liu nodded._

_" ENENRA! KABAL! " Kitana yelled._

_Kurtis started trembling, he knew what came next. He slammed his head into the floor, trying to wake up. 'this is a nightmare, this is a nightmare, I'm asleep, I'm asleep... I'm alive.' He told himself over and over again. It didn't work. Tomas Vrbada and Carlos Kabal dragged him down the hall..._ Kurtis awoke to the sound of knocking on his door. 

He checked the alarm clock, which didn't have an alarm set since he could no longer stand the sound, it read 4:56 in the morning. Who could be knocking now? Sonya maybe, possibly Kung Lao, in extreme cases it could be Johnny or Liu needing some place to stay for the night and they didnt trust the hotels anymore. Kurtis was lucky on that side of the story. 

Kurtis rolled out of bed upon the pounding getting more frantic. He noticed faintly that he wasn't wearing a shirt and his chest was covered in sweat from the nightmare as it always was ( though the nightmares were slowly becoming few and far between). He mentally noted to grab a shirt after opening the door. 

He opened the door and stopped short. "Cassie?"

She was shaking and looked over her left shoulder down the hall, "Can I come in? I think someone's following me."

Kurtis shook off his shock and nodded slowly, moving for her to enter. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with the back of his hand and yawned heavily.

"sorry for asking you." She said sitting down on top of his counter, making herself at home. 

he chuckled, "it's fine. It's actually welcome compared to the nightmares..." He trailed off.

She frowned, "I thought you were getting better?"

He snapped his head out of the fridge to look at her, "I am. I just still have th- them, sometimes."

He smiled at her and tossed her a drink, one she just sat and differed with. "You okay?" He asked. 

She frowned again, "somebody was following me, I didn't know where else to go in the area." 

He stepped next to her setting his beer down, "it's fine, Cass. I already said that. Who was following you?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. But after Shinnok and everything I wasn't about to take any chances."

He patted her arm and smiled, "good. Chances get you killed. Or they save you. Either one."

She laughed, "you're not helping." 

He shrugged with a smile, "I know."

He left her to walk down the hall and grab a shirt. When he came back, tugging an old Cop Training shirt over his head, she was looking at a picture of him and Tessa.

"That's me and my little sister, Tessa, right after I finished probation back when I was nineteen. She was fifteen. Only reason I didn't go to collage..."

Cassie raised an eyebrow, "she looks just like you ."

Kurtis smiled, remembering her. The he frowned, "she died during the invasion."

Cassie looked back at him, " geez, I'm sorry, Kurt. "

He smiled slightly, "yeah, well, it's past now, so..."

She hugged him, " Thanks for letting me in. "

"No problem."

She was silent for a few moments , having finally opened her beer, "so where'd you get the scar from?"

He frowned, looking up, " huh? "

She poked his chest, right over his heart.

His throat constricted and his breathing became unsteady. 

"Whoah, I'm sorry, Kurt, don't worry about it."

He barely heard her over the screams of Tomas, Carlos, and others... so many others...

He shook his head feeling her hand on his shoulder, "it's fine, Cassie. It 's, uh, it's from Quan Chi.. When, you know." His voice got quiet and shakey.

She put her hands on his shoulders, her forehead on his. His hands found the counter behind hom , holding onto it for balance. Her hands moved to His cheeks before her right one moved to His chest, on his scar. 

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

He shook her off, " it's fine. " he walked into the living room and thought for a moment. "do you- uh, do you need to stay the night?"

She shurgged, " is it alright with you? "

He nodded. "Yeah, you can have the couch. Night. I'll be down here if you need me. "

She nodded, " night, Kurtis. "

He walked down the hall, looking somber, but what she didn't see was the smile that broke onto his face as soon as he shut his door. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurtis Stryker doesn't know why he let her stay longer than that night. He doesn't know why he let her convince him to join back up with the force. He doesn't know why he can't just stop the nightmares. Since when did he stop knowing anything?

Kurtis Stryker should've kicked her out when he could. He should have, but did he? No, no he did not. Instead, he let her convince him to allow her to stay for longer than needed. She asked to stay for a week, he let her. Over that time, interesting conversations arose, for example:

"I'm not rejoining." Kurtis told her. 

Cassie glared him over her bowl of cereal, "why not? It's good to have a stable job and it's even better if it's one you love doing." 

Kurtis shook his head, "not if it's not going to be stable and if I dont love it anymore."

She looked down and grumbled into the Captain Crunch, when she looked back up she said, "why?"

" why don't I love it anymore? "

She nodded.

Kurtis thought for less than a moment, "how about... My best friend who died, was resurrected, and now won't talk to me is still on the force; my badge is who knows where, that's at least six violations; and to top it all off, _I'm_ unstable." 

She narrowed her eyes and frowned at him, "those aren't reasons you don't love it anymore, those are reasons you won't go back."

He shrugged, "same thing." 

She shook her head and patted his back before getting up, "oh well, at least Kabal had some sense, better sense than you, but some." 

Kurtis stared at his own plate of eggs and bacon and suddenly went, "oh no, Carlos does not have more sense than me!" 

She stuck her head out of his kitchen, "prove it." 

He stood up, grabbing his keys and jacket, "I will!" and he walked out the door.

He came back three hours later with his new badge and uniform. She sat him down at the couch.

"They didn't even make me redo the entrance exam..." He whispered.

She patted his shoulder, "told ya."

That was three days ago. He starts work on Monday, so... in two days, he goes back to the force. Amazing.

Friday night, last night Cassie was allowed to stay, and he couldn't sleep. The nightmares had disappeared while she was here, but he knew that it was going to act up again now that she was leaving. He flipped down into his bed and let out a sigh. What was he doing? He was crazy, allowing her to convince him (more like trick him) into rejoining the force, letting her stay, letting her get inside his _head._ He was crazy.

He slowly felt sleep take him into its embrace.

The nightmare was worse than ever. It wasn't just what _had_ happened, it was what could have happened. Cassie, Sonya, Johnny... They all became revenents. Kurtis didn't realize he was shaking and yelling in his sleep until Cassie shook him awake.

"Kurtis?" She asked .

He lay awake, his eyes focused on the ceiling past her face. He could feel his face burning from Cassie hearing his nightmare. What had he been saying that woke her up all the way in the living room? 

"Are you okay?" She asked again.

He nodded, "I'm fine, leave me alone." He rolled away, his back to her. She didn't leave just yet though. She sat down on the edge of his bed and put a hand on his shoulder.

" Kurtis? "

"Hmm?" He answered, hoping she'd let it be and leave.

"I know you're not." 

His breathing slowed. His heart stopped beating as frantically as it has been, trying to prove he was still alive. 

She laid down beside him and whispered in his ear, "what was it about?"

Kurtis signed and rolled onto his back. He could her out of the corner of his eye, she was propped up on her elbow, watching him intently. 

"What was I saying?" 

She frowned, "Something about 'Tomas' and My dad? I thought I heard me and my mom, but I'm not sure."

He nodded, "smoke. I stood there while he got stabbed and turned and I didn't do a single God damn thing. The part about you, Sonya, and Johnny is different. You were all getting turned and I _couldn't_ do anything." He felt his hands shaking and he grabbed the sheets below him. 

She moved her free hand to put it over his clenched fist, untangling it from the sheets and holding it in hers. "Itll be okay. We're not revenents, we never were. well, you were, but not mom, dad, and me."

Kurtis squeezed her hand, closing eyes and trying to control his breathing. 

Surprising even himself, he looked at her, "Can you stay for a few more days?" 

She let out a shirt laugh and smiled, "Yeah, Kurt. I can stay."

He smiled to himself and gripped her hand. "...can you stay here for the night?"

She leaned over him and Kurtis could see the red in her cheeks as she lent down and connected her lips to his and as she pulled away. 

" I told you, Kurt, I can stay. "


End file.
